Natrona County Man Gets 13-20 Years for Forgery, Exploitation of Vulnerable Adult

Roy Davis, convicted of stealing $32,000 from a family whose patriarch was dying, took more than the money, the daughter told Natrona County District Court at his sentencing Wednesday.

"Not only did you steal money and identities, you stole this family's trust in ourselves and made us begin to doubt our faith in people in in God's purpose for us," Nancy Waters said in a prepared statement written by her mother.

"But more importantly, you stole our time to grieve over Oral's death," Waters said

Waters read her prepared statement while standing next to her mother before Judge Daniel Forgey sentenced Davis to a 13- to 20-year prison term, and ordered him to pay $32,000 in restitution and $5,100 in restitution to the state.

The case started a year ago when the son of Oral Miller had recently taken over power of attorney responsibilities for his elderly mother. While reviewing her finances, he found 35 checks that had apparently been signed by someone besides his mother.

The victim told an investigator that Davis had married her daughter, Cynthia, in 2015. Afterward, the pair moved into the victim's house to care for her and her dying husband, who died in December 2017.

Davis told a Natrona County Sheriff's investigator that he and his wife had accrued a large amount of debt when they were married in 2015, and that he had a substantial gambling problem. He said his wife was the only source of income in their household, other than VA benefits the victim collected on behalf of her deceased husband.

In April 2018, Davis pleaded guilty to one count of exploiting a vulnerable adult and nine counts of forgery. In exchange for the plea, Davis would serve sentences concurrently, meaning he would face a maximum punishment of 10 years behind bars if he complied with court orders.

Forgey set a sentencing date that summer, but allowed him to post bond to receive medical treatment.

Davis, 46, didn't comply.

He fled the state and was apprehended in California after spending 45 days in jail there on a burglary charge, Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen said.

"There is no plea agreement," Itzen said.

As a result, Itzen recommended 18 months to 36 months on each of the forgery counts to run consecutively, plus a two- to five-year sentence for the one count of exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

Davis' attorney Joseph Cole disagreed, saying the forgeries occurred in the context of the exploitation of a vulnerable adult, and that's the crime for which he should be sentenced. Otherwise, Davis would never be able to make restitution.

"Give him a chance to pay it back," Cole said.

"I am very sorry for the things I did," Davis said, followed by a confession of love for the family, that he was a horrible person, that he was in a hospital and wanted to die but was resuscitated, that he was a miserable person, that he wants to be able to have a short prison sentence so he can get out to work and pay restitution, and that he wants that chance so when he dies people won't say that he was a bad person.

Forgey then handed down the sentence of nine to 10 years on the forgery counts, and four to 10 years for the exploitation of a vulnerable adult count.

After the hearing, Waters said the family was pleased with the sentence. "I think we're content that the judge sees what Roy is really like."

Some of her family members have a long time to pay the debts that Davis incurred in their names through forged checks and identity theft, but the restitution was not as important as ensuring that he will be incarcerated so he can't hurt anyone else, she said.

Davis' statement to the court showed how manipulative he is, Waters added.

After he spoke, she turned to the people next to her in the gallery and said, "should we applaud for a great performance?"